The 10th Dimension
by Pixiedust72
Summary: The Doctor ends up somewhere impossible, but is his life what it seems or is there some higher power?Post TTOTTL Written for my friend after Doomsday. RTD bashing
1. Aftermath

Disclaimer:I do not own any of the Doctor who characters or the who universe

A tear slid down her cheek as she stood staring at the empty space in front of her on that lonely beach in Norway, where The Doctor had just faded away. Rose was trapped in this parallel world forever. He'd always been there to save her before, but this time he wasn't, he couldn't. She would have to live a lifetime without him.

The rest of the day faded into non-existence. She sat in the hotel room that her mum and dad had gotten her. Everyone was too tired to drive home that night and Rose wanted nothing more than to curl up into a ball and cry. She just kept seeing his face over and over again as he smiled at her, then watched him disappear for the second time. It wasn't fair.

* * *

The Doctor had been shocked by the appearance of Donna to say the least but it had taken his mind off that fateful day on the beach. Now he was alone again he was thinking about Rose. How she'd reached out to touch him, her hand falling short when he told her she couldn't. The tears in her eyes, making them sparkle as they threatened to fall before finally tumbling down her cheeks. He'd never see her smile at him again. That thought made both his hearts ache. 

He just didn't want to do anything anymore. He'd given up on the universe. If there was a higher power, which he didn't believe there was, but if there was, that power must have it in for him. His world, gone. His people, gone. His companion, no, she was more than just his _companion._ He'd had dozens of _companions._ Rose was different. She was special. She understood him, knew when he needed to be left alone, knew when he needed a cup of tea, knew when _he_ needed saving. But she was gone too, torn away in seconds. When her fingers slipped off that lever…his hearts stopped as she slipped away from him forever. After everything he'd been though, everything they'd been through together. It wasn't fair.

* * *

After three weeks Rose realised she had to get on with her life. She didn't want to, but if wasn't fair on her mum, and dad, they couldn't deal with her moping around looking like a ghost with the baby around. So she did the only thing she could. She got a job at Torchwood. She hated every minute of it and everything about it, but it was a connection, if a twisted one, to The Doctor and her old life. At least this way, she could make sure it never happened again. They would never destroy someone's life the way they had hers again.

* * *


	2. Among the stars

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the DW characters etc

It was June 2009. Earth. London. The Doctor had decided to just take a day off. He didn't know where to go anymore. He'd just been…wandering. It wasn't as much fun, time travelling, without a companion. After he'd dropped Martha off at her house he'd fallen back into the melancholy that had covered him like a cloak right after…that day.

Suddenly his phone, rather Martha's phone, rang. "Hello?"

"Doctor! Where are you?" Martha's voice came through the phone, making The Doctor smile slightly.

"2009, just around the corner from you actually. What year are you in?" He joked.

"Umm 2009. What other year would I be in?"

"You mean to say that you haven't called me in 2 years?" The Doctor was indignant.

"Sorry, I've been busy you know. Anyway, I've just finished my exams and I thought you might want to see a friendly face."

The Doctor grinned an idea coming into his head "Would you like to go on a quick trip? We can celebrate you finally becoming a doctor. Doctor Jones. Ha, I like that. I know just the place."

"We aren't going to be chased by aliens are we?"

"No. I don't think so, though….nope, definitely not."

"Then what are we waiting for?." Said a voice right behind him. The Doctor spun round to find Martha standing behind him. He looked between her and the phone in his hand smiling. "How did you..?"

"I saw you walking down the street. Are we going or are you going to stand here all day and look at the beautiful London scenery?"

The Doctor laughed "Martha Jones. Its good to see you again."

They set off back towards the TARDIS.

"So, where are we going then?" Martha asked as The Doctor rushed around the console pressing buttons and flicking switches.

"It's a surprise."

"Right. A surprise. I should have guessed."

Suddenly the TARDIS lurched forwards. "Doctor?"

He ignored her and was jumping around the room looking panicked, checking readouts and looking at the monitor "Oh no, this can't be good."

"Doctor? What's going on?" Martha was hanging onto one of the rails as the TARDIS lurched about "Didn't we do this already? You know, the whole end of the Universe, remember?"

"I remember. How could I forget? But, Martha, this is worse, much worse. There's no way this could ever be possible."

"What?"

"Something has pulled us out of the Time Vortex."

"That's happened before though hasn't it?"

"Yes, but not like this. We were right in the centre of it. Nothing could possibly pull us out of that. Its like a great big hand just reached in and plucked us out."

"Like a tractor beam?"

"Well, yeah, but much more powerful. Infact, there's nothing that has enough power in the Universe."

"So how did it happen?"

The Doctor looked at her, and for the first time she saw fear in his eyes. "I don't know. We're not in the Universe anymore."

"Right, but I thought you said we can't travel between universes because of the Rift or something."

"No, Martha, you don't understand. We're not in any Universe. It's not even dead space. I don't know what it is." He looked defeated.

Martha tried to cheer him up "Well maybe be should have a look then?"

She walked over to the door and opened it a crack. What she saw made her open the door all the way "Doctor, you should come look at this." She called.

He raced over to the door and his mouth almost dropped open. It was stars. But not just stars, there were people walking among the stars. He'd never seen anything like it. You couldn't just walk around space.

Pushing past Martha he stepped outside expecting to fall but he didn't. His eyes widened as he walked forwards, Martha following. He was walking on nothing.

"Oh dear, how did you two get here?" a male voice rang out from in front of them. The Doctor stopped. There was no one there. He looked at Martha who shrugged.

All of sudden a man appeared in front of them, making them jump back. The man was wearing a midnight blue robe that somehow shone against the black backdrop.

"Sorry," The Doctor said "My friend and I seem to be lost. Could you tell us where here is exactly?"

The man laughed "The great Doctor, asking where he is! Don't you find it hilarious Martha? He, who knows everything asking where he is! This is Nowhere. You must have got caught in my trap for Dimension hoppers."

The pair took a step back from him "How do you know who we are?" Martha asked cautiously.

"I've been following you." He said "Since the day you two met in the hospital."

"How do you know about that?" Martha demanded. The Doctor was just looking at the man.

"I know, because I made it happen. Did you think you bumped into Mr Smith by accident?"

"Who are you?" The Doctor spoke.

"I , am Ren Thal Dorlan. Master of the 10th Dimension."

"10th Dimension? That doesn't exist."

"Doesn't it? And how would you know, Doctor?"

"I'm, well, I'm a Time Lord."

"Ha, that's the problem with you _Time lords_ you think you know everything, that you're the superior race of the universe. Well let me tell you, there's more than just the universe. And you are far from the superior race. I am! You know, Doctor, you and I are alike in many ways. I'm the last of my kind too, but unlike you I killed my brothers on purpose, I wanted to be the only Master of the 10th Dimension. And it has been fun. You on the other hand, caused the destruction of Time lords, but you didn't want it, you've regretted it the whole of your life haven't you?" He nodded understandingly, while the Doctor stood stock still. "But," Ren Thal Dorlan carried on "I'll let you into a little secret now you're here. It wasn't you, it was me."

"What?"

"Oh it was you that did it, and you were perfectly capable of doing it, but I nudged you and made you. Just as I have been making things happen forever. Who do you think nudged the one you call Master to look into the Time Vortex?" He clicked his fingers and a screen-like window appeared in the air. The Doctor watched as a small boy looked into a swirling vortex. Another window appeared showing the destruction of Gallifrey as the planet burned.

"All those times your TARDIS flew off course and landed somewhere completely unexpected. The planet that was falling into the Black hole? The end of the Universe, Parallel Earth?"

Images flashed up showing The Doctor down in the Satan Pit, Martha and him with Professor Yana, and Parallel Earth.

The Doctor took all of this in, staring at the scenes in front of him as painful memories resurfaced. "So you've just been…manipulating me? My whole life?"

Ren Thal Dorlan nodded.

"Are you…God?" Martha asked slightly confused

"Of course not! There is no God. I just…play with people's lives. Of course I can't make them do something they would never do. Only encourage them to do something or make something small happen, nothing that would change the course of the world too much of course, or time would be destroyed and then I'd have nothing left to play with."

"The time war, You caused that?" The Doctor was getting angry. "All the pain and the suffering, that was because you felt like playing with my life? Manipulating me?"

"Well for the most part."

"Rose. Did Rose walk into my life because of you?" Demanded The Doctor

"No, that was all you. You do have a tendency to go your own way sometimes. I think it's a personality issue really. Time lords are so much fun to play with. They live longer than everyone else and live such interesting lives. There's so much more you can do with them."

"What about Torchwood? The Rift?"

"Oh yes, that was me. You and Miss Tyler were getting a bit too comfortable. It was getting boring. I have to say, I didn't think that by moving a little lever I would change you so much." Ren Thal Dorlan chuckled as though talking about a pet.

"Undo it."

"What?"

"Undo it." The Doctor said "Whatever it was you did, undo it."

"No." Ren Thal Dorlan looked amazed that The Doctor would even ask that question. "Why would I do that?"

"You've played with my life enough." The Doctor said through gritted teeth

"I think that's for me to decide. You're like my own little TV show, that I write, direct and produce. The show isn't being cancelled yet. But I think it needs more drama." He clicked his fingers and what appeared to be a large glass box appeared. The Doctor stared as a young woman with blonde hair and a face he would never forget walked into the box.

"Rose." He whispered walking over to the box, putting his hand on the glass.

A plan started to formulate in his mind as he watched Rose move about the office she was in.

"So, Ren Thal Dorlan, what are you going to do with me now?"

"Send you back. After wiping your memory of course."

"With what?"

"This." He drew out a long thin white cylinder.

"A magic wand?" The Doctor scoffed.

"It is not a magic wand. It holds all the powers of the 10th Dimension."

"Really?" The Doctor sounded disinterested and unimpressed.

"Yes really!" Ren Thal Dorlan didn't like The Doctors sudden lack of interest.

"Hmm, I doubt that. Prove it."

"Fine, give me a challenge. I'll happily indulge you, as long as it doesn't interfere with my entertainment."

"You want a challenge? Well, no one I've ever met has ever been able to turn this" He pulled a cricket ball from his pocket. " Into pure gold."

"Of course I can do that. It's easy. this isn't your universe Doctor. Watch." Ren Thal Dorlan came closer to the Doctor and tapped the cricket ball with the wand. Instantly it turned gold and became heavy. The Doctor threw it in the air a couple of times testing it. Ren Thal Dorlan had a smug smile on his face.

In seconds The Doctor caught the ball in one hand and snatched the wand with the other hand, then threw the golden cricket ball straight at the glass separating him and Rose.

Glass shattered and Rose spun around to find the source of the noise. What she saw nearly made her faint. One wall of her office had disappeared and in its place was…space. And in the dark space, lit with little stars stood a man in a blue suit and long brown coat.

"Hello Rose."

Rose threw herself at the Doctor, hugging him tight, not believing this was real but wanting to enjoy the dream all the same.

"Are you really here?" She asked breathlessly

"Yes I am." He answered grinning

"But how?"

The Doctor nodded back to her office and something gold on the floor "Golden cricket ball." He said sounding very pleased with himself

"Umm, Doctor?" Rose had just looked down "What are we standing on? Where are we?"

"10th Dimension apparently."

"But I thought you said it didn't exist."

"Ask him." The Doctor nodded at Ren Thal Dorlan, who now looked very worried that The Doctor had control of the wand.

"You cant use it you know, only I can." He told him

"Who is he?" Rose asked

"He, is Ren Thal Dorlan. You know what, I'm just going to call you RTD, I can't be bothered to keep saying your name. Anyway he's the one responsible for the Rift opening and the lever slipping and you being stuck in the parallel world."

The Doctor watched with a smile as Rose slowly turned to face RTD. "It was your fault? You did that? Because of you I landed up in Pete's world?" She slapped him hard. "How dare you mess with my life!"

"How dare you slap me, girl! Don't you know who I am?"

"Yeah, nothing but a puppet master." Rose said turning back to The Doctor. "What are you going to do with him?"

"Oh, I thought I might lock him in his own dimension for the rest of eternity."

"Wait, I wont do it again, I promise." RTD cried after them

"Sorry, for some reason I don't trust you." The Doctor said halfway in the doorway of the TARDIS after Rose. He pressed a button on the wand sealing Ren Thal Dorlan in the 10th Dimension, before snapping it in half and throwing it away. Then he joined Martha and Rose in the TARDIS.


	3. Home

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the DW characters etc

Rose was standing by the console in the TARDIS. It felt like being home. A warm feeling spread through her as she took in the familiar surroundings of The Doctor's home. Her home as well.

"Umm, Hello?"

Rose turned around to find another girl standing behind her. She had no idea who she was.

"I'm Martha." The girl said "You must be Rose."

"Umm, yeah. Sorry, who are you?" She didn't want to sound rude, but she had to ask

"I'm…was, The Doctor's companion. After you were, umm, gone."

"Oh, his companion." Rose felt something inside her crumple. He'd gotten a new companion. Just like that she was replaced. "I see."

Martha quickly saw what she'd said and hastened to fix the situation "No, really it wasn't like that. I wasn't replacing you, just, keeping him company. I was really just along for the ride. He talked about you all the time you know."

Rose looked up

"And I could tell he was always thinking about you. Sometimes he would just stare off into space. Literally. I knew he was even thinking of you or the time war."

Rose gave her a tight smile "Thanks." She said "So, er, where did he find you? I mean, how did you meet him?"

"In a hospital. I was training to be a doctor and it got sucked off the Earth due to some hunt for a murdering alien or something. I was a bit confused at the time."

"Yeah, I know what you mean. When I first met him, The Doctor, he didn't look like that by the way."

"Yeah I know, we ran into Jack"

"Jack? He's alive?"

"Yeah. Umm, I'll let The Doctor tell you about that. Anyway he explained about regenerations and stuff."

"Anyway, when I first met him I was in a store room and these mannequins were coming to life. All of a sudden he appeared and was grabbing my hand telling me to run." Rose was laughing now at the memory

"Sounds just like him." Martha laughed with her. "Did he talk at a mile a minute when he was trying to explain something to you?"

"Yes. And you know how he's always fixing the TARDIS?"

Martha nodded

"Well, he's not. He just likes messing with things. He can't sit still."

"Yeah, I noticed that. Never happy unless we're running for our lives." Martha laughed

Just then The Doctor walked into the TARDIS. He stopped when he saw the two girls giggling "What?"

They carried on laughing not able to get any comprehendible speech out.

"What? What are you laughing about?"

They carried on laughing, now also at the look on his face.

The Doctor sighed "It's like when we met Sarah Jane all over again. Rose, what are you laughing at?"

"You." Rose finally managed to get out

The Doctor looked offended "Me? After I just saved you from dying of boredom in Pete's world, you're laughing at me?"

"Sorry." Rose stopped laughing worried she'd upset him "It's just…well you are quite funny."

The Doctor grinned at her. "Rose, you don't know how much I've missed you."


End file.
